“We plan to continue participating in local, national and international food-and-wine events to increase exposure to our brand and garner widespread awareness for our restaurants; work with local, national and international culinary and hospitality schools to increase our company’s infrastructure; and continue to support local educational charity programs, as well as those who feed the hungry to benefit those in need.”

DW Bistro co-owners Dalton Wilson and Bryce Krausman:

DW Bistro

“In 2016, we relocated to a larger space, due to outgrowing our first bistro. In 2017, we will see the opening of a market, kitchen and bar in downtown Las Vegas, with plans to continue expansion outside of the Las Vegas market.”

“From a sourcing standpoint, we will continue to seek out the best quality, locally grown ingredients. This year we will be focused on sharing information about these farms, ranches, wineries and breweries to our guests, so that we can provide exposure to the producers we support, as well as full transparency to our patrons. From a community standpoint, we will be expanding our programs that support local philanthropy, education and arts. And from a food-and-drink-offering standpoint, we will continue to innovate. We will be launching specialized menus that support specific lifestyles and will be adding more food offerings that support Paleo and plant-based diets, as well as neutraceutical-based non-alcohol drinks.”

“In 2017, we’d like to enhance the customer engagement through loyalty programs and email campaigns, as well as improve the virtual experience with more efficient online ordering and delivery processing. We’d also like to increase catering business through community outreach and education.”

Glenn Plantone, owner of Plantone in Las Vegas:

Plantone’s Italian Market

“Plantone’s Italian Market is brand new, opening our doors in late 2016 to fulfill a niche that has long been needed in Las Vegas to offer the absolute best authentic Italian fare in a fast-casual setting. We intend to grow the brand through effective social media, strategic marketing, and good old-fashioned word-of-mouth advertising to grow our current customer base and work on a second and third location in 2017.”

Andy Hata, general manager of Urban Farmer in Cleveland, Ohio:

Urban Farmer

“Our motto for 2017 is to be true to our name of being an ‘urban farmer;’ to continue to support real food, the community, and the environment. We will be growing our own food. We have a rooftop garden in the works, as well as some preliminary ideas to start hydroponic gardening on our premises. We will be better ambassadors to our community by truly supporting our local producers on all fronts. Most importantly, we will support our environment. Green and sustainability efforts are at the forefront of our thoughts. Cleveland’s restaurant industry has grown so quickly that things like recycling and composting are not yet fully facilitated by the city. We will press on these issues to change how our waste is managed in this part of the country, starting by trying to do it ourselves to show what a difference we can make.”

Shaun Clancy, owner of Foley’s NY Pub & Restaurant in Manhattan:

Foley’s NY Pub & Restaurant

“In 2017, I hope to train a manager to help take the load off of me so I can spend more time with family. I also plan to grow the brand by establishing a better referral network from Manhattan hotels since Foley’s is across the street from the Empire State Building.”

“We want to get better at educating consumers and sandwich partners (employees) about our mission. We are a mission-driven brand, but there is so much misinformation about sustainability and nutrition that we are often challenged to over-simplify our message about complex ecological systems, or why a given ingredient is healthier for you or the planet. We want to continue to get better at telling our story.”

Juan Fernando Ayora, president of the Pubbelly Restaurant Group in Miami:

Pubbelly Restaurant Group

“We are working on establishing a more solid organization through which we will be able to confidently project the great talent that we have in our group. We are a creating a solid organizational chart that will allow everyone to focus on their areas of expertise, while creating an environment that will help develop teamwork. All this has two main objectives: Supply Jose Mendin with the place and organization to encourage his creativity as chef, and help him execute his vision so we can deliver to our clients a memorable experience.”

Amy Morton, proprietor for Evanston, Ill., restaurants Found and The Barn:

Galdones Photography

“For me, 2017 is about breaking the mold, stepping into new territory, and breaking all the rules, if necessary, in order to create the most positive, empowered team possible. I’m working on bringing our team players more into the fold when we make decisions and or changes. I want to enlist our team’s opinions and ideas on things rather than just telling them what we are going to do. I’m also striving to get more comfortable with conflict and to encourage discourse and vulnerability in team meetings in order to foster greater trust, even when it feels uncomfortable.”